Post by The Silent Orator on Oct 3, 2008 9:44:26 GMT -5
(I wrote this essay as an assignment to an alliance I'm a part of... I figured I might as well share it with you guys. Critique and comment as you please.)
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Many people of today find the hustle and bustle of life to be somewhat tedious and stressful. Many people like to play video games or read novels to escape temporarily into the realms of fantasy worlds full of heroes and magic. However, some have noticed that a great way to escape from reality has been mostly overlooked by most people and frowned upon by some who do know about it. The art of role-playing is a great way to escape from the harshness of reality. First, role-playing provides a very interactive and imaginative way to get involved in a world unlike our own. Second, role-playing can have many different settings and many different scenarios to fit those who participate in it. Finally, role-playing can be fun.
First, role-playing provides a very interactive and imaginative way to get involved in a world unlike our own. Whether over instant messenger, MySpace, a message board, or some other form of communication, a role-play usually has the participants and the person in charge. The person in charge is sometimes called the Dungeon Master, Game Master, or Thread Master. Regardless, each one of these terms means the person in charge makes the storyline, advances the plot, and controls most of the non-player characters. These worlds can range from a simple medieval era to a medieval era with dragons and magic; a world desolate in the dark ages to a futuristic society with laser beams and robotic aliens; a world set in the steampunk era to a world set in the post-apocalyptic future. Characters are quite often created by the participants and allow these participants to delve into the world of the person in charge and to actively engage in a world of fantasy, quasi-reality, or a mixture. In short, role-playing is a very diverse and intuitive pastime and can really help a person calm down and relax from the hustle and bustle of modern day life.
Second, role-playing can have many different settings and many different scenarios to fit those who participate in it. As mentioned earlier, the setting of a role-play can differ depending on who participates and who agrees upon what. Some role-plays can be in the action genre. Characters who fight a lot, solve conflicts, make alliances and enemies, and heroes who fight to save the day. They can save the damsels in distress, slay the dragon and save the princess, destroy the evil aquatic brain and save the fifth planet in the newly discovered solar system, or they can discover a way to end the impending crisis at hand. Some role-plays can lean more heavily toward romance. One role-play I was involved with had almost no action and involved one of my characters dating my friend's character. They soon got married and were planning to have a family. However, most role-plays are not romance exclusive or action exclusive. They can have a combination of the both, beginning with a war story of a former glorious knight who retired to live with a wife, or it can be the story of a blacksmith who engages in combat and becomes a warrior to save the life of his girlfriend from the evil clutches of the wizard. Therefore, it is safe to assume that role-playing can be as diverse as the participants make it, thus meaning it can be accessible to anyone who wishes to participate in it.
Finally, role-playing can be fun. In my many years of role-playing, both on message boards and over AOL Instant Messenger, I have met many people, learned many people's styles, met many characters, and observed the skill of many of my fellow comrades in fantasy. On message boards, I have met many wonderful people who all enjoy role-playing immensely. On a message board known as the Elite Author's Boards, there are some excellent role-players when I used to role-play on there, ranging from Ninmast and his trademark character Star, TrueBlue and her eternal fear-inducing skillet of doom, Kainus and his exceptional and diverse cast of characters, Giant Brother and his huge cast of various and realistic characters, KT and her wide range of heavily fantasy-oriented characters, and others. Although I know there are more, I had retired from there before I got to know them. On another message board I recently joined, the Strikerclan alliance's message board, I have had the pleasure of reading a little bit of the role-plays on there. Two role-plays I noticed on the board that especially caught my eye were created by Pain_bringer2 and AngelvsShinobi. In addition to forum role-playing, which I've mostly retired from, there are a lot of instant messanger role-playing that can be participated in. I try to keep in touch with three of my regular role-play buddies on instant messenger between volunteer work, two part-time jobs, eighteen college credits, two concert bands, a jazz band, a wind ensemble, and being an active fanfiction writer. My friend, whom quite a few people call Rocky, is quite an action role-player and makes ultra-powerful characters that tests my skill as a dungeon master to work around. My friend, whom I like to call Jet, has a few characters that are pretty cool with their weaknesses and strengths and their diverse personalities. Finally, my friend Naro has a large and diverse cast of wonderful characters. Hence, it is safe to say that with a little effort, role-playing can be a great pastime.
In conclusion, role-playing can be a great pastime for having fun and escaping from reality. First, the interactivity allows a person to be more involved and makes it easier to escape the grasp of reality. Second, the customization of a role-play is great and diverse, thus making it suitable for anyone who wants to try. Third, role-playing can be great fun with a little effort put in. With so much to choose from, it's easy to see how the little-known activity of role-playing is easily under appreciated and underrated. Find your local friend and start role-playing today!
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Many people of today find the hustle and bustle of life to be somewhat tedious and stressful. Many people like to play video games or read novels to escape temporarily into the realms of fantasy worlds full of heroes and magic. However, some have noticed that a great way to escape from reality has been mostly overlooked by most people and frowned upon by some who do know about it. The art of role-playing is a great way to escape from the harshness of reality. First, role-playing provides a very interactive and imaginative way to get involved in a world unlike our own. Second, role-playing can have many different settings and many different scenarios to fit those who participate in it. Finally, role-playing can be fun.
First, role-playing provides a very interactive and imaginative way to get involved in a world unlike our own. Whether over instant messenger, MySpace, a message board, or some other form of communication, a role-play usually has the participants and the person in charge. The person in charge is sometimes called the Dungeon Master, Game Master, or Thread Master. Regardless, each one of these terms means the person in charge makes the storyline, advances the plot, and controls most of the non-player characters. These worlds can range from a simple medieval era to a medieval era with dragons and magic; a world desolate in the dark ages to a futuristic society with laser beams and robotic aliens; a world set in the steampunk era to a world set in the post-apocalyptic future. Characters are quite often created by the participants and allow these participants to delve into the world of the person in charge and to actively engage in a world of fantasy, quasi-reality, or a mixture. In short, role-playing is a very diverse and intuitive pastime and can really help a person calm down and relax from the hustle and bustle of modern day life.
Second, role-playing can have many different settings and many different scenarios to fit those who participate in it. As mentioned earlier, the setting of a role-play can differ depending on who participates and who agrees upon what. Some role-plays can be in the action genre. Characters who fight a lot, solve conflicts, make alliances and enemies, and heroes who fight to save the day. They can save the damsels in distress, slay the dragon and save the princess, destroy the evil aquatic brain and save the fifth planet in the newly discovered solar system, or they can discover a way to end the impending crisis at hand. Some role-plays can lean more heavily toward romance. One role-play I was involved with had almost no action and involved one of my characters dating my friend's character. They soon got married and were planning to have a family. However, most role-plays are not romance exclusive or action exclusive. They can have a combination of the both, beginning with a war story of a former glorious knight who retired to live with a wife, or it can be the story of a blacksmith who engages in combat and becomes a warrior to save the life of his girlfriend from the evil clutches of the wizard. Therefore, it is safe to assume that role-playing can be as diverse as the participants make it, thus meaning it can be accessible to anyone who wishes to participate in it.
Finally, role-playing can be fun. In my many years of role-playing, both on message boards and over AOL Instant Messenger, I have met many people, learned many people's styles, met many characters, and observed the skill of many of my fellow comrades in fantasy. On message boards, I have met many wonderful people who all enjoy role-playing immensely. On a message board known as the Elite Author's Boards, there are some excellent role-players when I used to role-play on there, ranging from Ninmast and his trademark character Star, TrueBlue and her eternal fear-inducing skillet of doom, Kainus and his exceptional and diverse cast of characters, Giant Brother and his huge cast of various and realistic characters, KT and her wide range of heavily fantasy-oriented characters, and others. Although I know there are more, I had retired from there before I got to know them. On another message board I recently joined, the Strikerclan alliance's message board, I have had the pleasure of reading a little bit of the role-plays on there. Two role-plays I noticed on the board that especially caught my eye were created by Pain_bringer2 and AngelvsShinobi. In addition to forum role-playing, which I've mostly retired from, there are a lot of instant messanger role-playing that can be participated in. I try to keep in touch with three of my regular role-play buddies on instant messenger between volunteer work, two part-time jobs, eighteen college credits, two concert bands, a jazz band, a wind ensemble, and being an active fanfiction writer. My friend, whom quite a few people call Rocky, is quite an action role-player and makes ultra-powerful characters that tests my skill as a dungeon master to work around. My friend, whom I like to call Jet, has a few characters that are pretty cool with their weaknesses and strengths and their diverse personalities. Finally, my friend Naro has a large and diverse cast of wonderful characters. Hence, it is safe to say that with a little effort, role-playing can be a great pastime.
In conclusion, role-playing can be a great pastime for having fun and escaping from reality. First, the interactivity allows a person to be more involved and makes it easier to escape the grasp of reality. Second, the customization of a role-play is great and diverse, thus making it suitable for anyone who wants to try. Third, role-playing can be great fun with a little effort put in. With so much to choose from, it's easy to see how the little-known activity of role-playing is easily under appreciated and underrated. Find your local friend and start role-playing today!